An exploration of pizza in and around Rochester, NY, one pizzeria at a time

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Crispy Green Freeze-Dried Fruits

I was recently sent a sample of Crispy Green 100% freeze-dried fruits, which are available in several varieties, including banana, pineapple, Fuji apple, mango, cantaloupe, and Asian pear.
What are they like? Well, as a kid, I would've called these "astronaut food." They taste exactly like the fruits they're made from. In one sense, it's a concentrated flavor, as the water is entirely gone, but the flavor takes a few seconds to come through, as you chew them and they moisten in your mouth. The texture is lighter and airier than typical dried fruit, but not unpleasant (and I say that as a "texture person" where food's concerned).
With fresh fruit so readily available in the supermarket year round, why buy these? They'd be good for hikers, or for inclusion in an emergency food supply, and they'd make an easy, nutritious addition to a brown-bag lunch.
Currently these aren't available in the Rochester area (Green Hills Farms in Syracuse is the nearest retail outlet at the moment), but you can order them online on Crispy Green's website. They run about a dollar per 0.36 ounce bag.

Ratings Guide

A: great; one of the best this area has to offerB: pretty good; not top-notch, but definitely good, and better than averageC: OK; nothing special, but it’ll do; typical for our areaD: edible; if you’ve already paid for it, you might as well eat itF: downright bad; toss it and get something else